If Anakin Stayed
by Ellie-Jean
Summary: What if Anakin was stopped from leaving the Jedi Temple? That's what happened. Anakin can't help but wonder what he could have done to save the Jedi and Padme...what if he tried to stop Windu?
1. Chapter 1

Luke and Leia were beautiful.

Anakin was still amazed every time he looked at his two children. He really couldn't understand how lucky he was despite Padme's death, he will always be grateful that he didn't turn for the soul reason that he wouldn't know where he would be if he didn't have the twins at least.

The two four year olds were like mini clones of him and his late wife.  
>Leia's hair was slowly turning brown like her mothers and she seemed to have the same little mannerisms and beliefs, however when it came to personality she was most defiantly like Anakin. Quick to temper, fearful and strong willed...She refused to be told off.<p>

Luke looked like Anakin (although his hair was lighter but that may change) and he seems just as strong with the force as his father, but his personality is so much like the brunet who carried him. Kind and loving but with a strong mind that doesn't take fools lightly.

When Padme was killed Anakin noticed something about his daughter.  
>She blocked herself from the force.<br>When she was born she shared the power with her brother, but once Padme's life ended she closed herself off. This didn't mean she had no abilities, she showed her father that she could still use the force from time to time...She just never wanted to use it.

Anakin wanted to raise them on Naboo like Padme wished but his duties to the Jedi remained.  
>The council (Or what remained left after order 66) decided to change many of the rules to help the Order rebuild itself, and so marriage and children were no longer prohibited.<br>Although at first we wished to leave the order he now felt grateful for it.  
>He didn't have to find money to pay for a new home<br>He had Luke and Leia taught by the Jedi  
>He had his friends<br>He had sessions with the healers if he ever felt the need to talk or grieve

His and Obi-Wan's relationship was still going strong, however there was still guilt between them. 

Anakin felt guilty for his short temper, his distrust he felt towards him and the Jedi and he felt guilty for trusting the Chancellor over him...for almost turning.

Obi-Wan felt guilty for letting a nine year old child near a Sith Lord, for leaving him to fight the android general and although Anakin says otherwise, Obi-Wan feels as though he didn't notice his brother suffering.

Most of the Jedi were "required" to see the Jedi healers after the war at least once; Yoda placed this "request" to avoid the final members of the order from letting their emotions get the better of them.

Only two percent of the order survived order 66 with only four council members surviving operation Knightfull, the other two hundred members of the order were training themselves further or taking on Padawan learners.

Twice a year Anakin will take the twins to Naboo to see their cousins, and grandparents and to visit their mother's grave.  
>Even though years have passed, he would let himself think of what happened, and though Obi-Wan would chastise him for it...<p>

He replayed the events...looking for something he could have done...something...one small event could have let her live.

He knows it was his fault.


	2. Those who he knew

Shaak Ti was finding it harder to convince Anakin to stay...

The young Knight had arrived not too long ago and confessed that he knew who the Sith Lord was, he arrived shaking and struggling to breathe then finally said that it was none other than the Supreme Chancellor. Surprisingly, no one seemed surprised.

"The temple is sealed, Anakin. The door is code-locked" The Jedi Master quietly said, her hand out hoping the calm undercurrents she was sending his way would reach the disturbed man's mind.

"And you're in the way of the pad" A part of her told her to let him go, if he wished to leave then he should. She couldn't stop him from leaving after all; she was neither his Master nor close friend.

But she was a Master...something he was not

And her heart, or was it a whisper of the Force? SOMETHING was screaming at her to not let him leave...  
>The entire Galaxy could be a stake.<p>

She put her arm down and moved closer to him, placing a hand to his cheek and looked into his eyes. The believed to be the "Chosen One" looked half dead; his blue eyes were red from tears and underneath were purple and swollen. His cheeks were thinner than normal and his skin was paler than the snow on Hoth.

How long has it been since he slept?  
>How long has it been since he ate anything?<br>How long has it been since he last relaxed?

"Anakin..." Shaak Ti for the first time in her life was struggling to put the words together; she knew what to say yet didn't know how to say it...  
>Or at least say it in a way that would make Anakin stay.<p>

"Palpatine is the Sith lord and do you know what that means? He has power over the entire Galaxy"  
>The young Jedi with light brown hair could only whisper "He hasn't done...he's a good man"<p>

And suddenly the Togruta found the sentence easy.

"The man, who you have been looking up to since you were a newly freed, nine year old slave, has been manipulating you. He started a war where he was the leader on both sides; he let millions die on both sides and depleted the Republic of its money and rights." She stopped briefly to catch her breath and then moved both of her hands to his shoulders and looked right into his eyes with a stern voice  
>"Does that make him sound like a good man or a respectable leader?"<p>

And Anakin turned away. Shaak Ti could rest easy knowing that the war was about to end, the Sith would be taken care of...And the young Knight had listened to an authority figure...

...For a change.

**Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the greatest Jedi Knights of all time, although many praised his talents very few realized JUST how brilliant he was. Anakin knew this even if he refused to admit it, the young knight recognised their similarities and their differences like their contrasting Lightsaber styles complementing each other. The two of them are great and they are equal. **

**Not too long ago Obi-Wan Kenobi had defeated a once Kaleesh but now cyborg with the same title as he, General.**

**Parts of his robes and hands were covered in the blood and guts of a yellow-eyed monster but Obi-Wan had yet to notice...After all he was in the middle of a battle, yet his mind couldn't help but look to the future.  
>The war ending.<br>The Chancellor giving back power to the Senate.  
>The republic rebuilding itself after three years of bloodshed.<br>The Jedi order regaining its strength in unity and numbers.**

**And...  
>There was one thing that Obi-Wan looked forward to the most.<strong>

**His Brother, his Friend being happy again.**

**Since Anakin was nine years old, Obi-Wan could tell when his friend was troubled. Most people mistook this for selfishness, but the truth was when Anakin had nightmares or was under an extreme amount of pressure he reacted badly and his temper went sky high. **

**He had noticed Anakin had changed dramatically since they rescued the Chancellor, but Kenobi could understand why. His brother was torn between his life, his love, his friend and possibly his family...as he noticed Padme was bigger **

**...But he was not willing to admit what his friend MUST have done there...**

**So as Obi-Wan was using the blaster he found (So uncivilised) to fight his way through the stupid Droid Army he couldn't help the excitement of not only the battle enter his blood stream but also the excitement of the future (Yoda would scold him) BUT HE DIDN'TCARE. He was enjoying this moment.**

**He was riding towards Commander Cody in hopes for an update for the battle, he really wished he hand't lost his lighsaber, it made everything harder. **

**He just had to survive the battle without it.  
><strong> 

**The clones would take care of him  
>He trusted them to<br>He took care of them  
>and when he got back to the Temple<br>Home  
>He would celebrate.<strong>

_Ahsoka hated this. She hated being stuck here when her Master and her Master's Master were being worshipped. Obi-Wan and Anakin had defeated Generals and were the stars of the war. _

_And what was she doing here? _

_She was just solving political disputes, or at least she was, the situation is over now. _

_As beautiful as the planet was, Naboo was dull._

_She started wondering through the palace, just trying to find something to do. She found waiting for the ship to be repaired a dull task.  
>"Why not go visit the queen?" <em>

_Ahsoka saw the clone soldier known as Rex by her side, his face was screaming with boredom like hers...Sometimes it seemed Gungans wanted to cause trouble._

"_I would visit the Queen if we had an issue to deal with, but the Gungan's have resolved their issues with Naboo...there is no reason to see her" Ahsoka started to kick the ground as she walked, slumping her back..._

_Oh yes...today was a very dull day. _

"_Well the inspection on the ship is nearly finished, we could go visit Representative Binks" _

_It was something small like that suggestion that made the young Padawan realizes how childish she could be at times. Sulking because there was little and when offered with an opportunity to decrease her boredom she rejected it._

"_Sure Rex...just for a few minutes"_

_When she said a few minutes, SHE MEANT A FEW MINUTES.  
>As much as they were friends with the clumsy Jar-Jar, some days one could not tolerate his own stupidity...and this was one of those days...too bad there was little to do today.<em>

_As she walked through the green grass and the beautiful lake within the palace the sixteen year old felt cold. The sun was blazing down on her and the soldier and she still felt cold.  
>Maybe it was the fear for Master Kenobi, fighting the cybernetic General who had been known to kill his fair share of Jedi.<br>Maybe it was her own master, she had felt some fear on his part not too long ago, and she could not however understand what the fear was for.  
>Maybe it was the sinking feeling that the war would be over soon, she was trained to fight and this was all she knew. She was soon to learn the difference between "Peace keeper" and "Soldier". <em>

"_General Kenobi has killed Grevious" the words she had been waiting to hear had made her jump  
><em> 

"_What? Really?" She didn't even know why she was surprised, other than her own master Kenobi was the best choice._

_She suddenly found the prospect of telling the Dear Gungan the news to be an entertaining notion._

_**He was backed to a corner, the window smashed, his face turned to his true form. **_

_**To many it would appear Mace Windu had won this battle...**_

_**But the man he was about to strike was too good for him...just too powerful **_

_**This was the Dark Lord of the Sith  
>He was an expert in all lightsaber forms<br>He was the embodiment of darkness  
>He was Palpatine <strong>_

_**There was a slight fault in his plan, Skywalker was supposed to show up, that would make the deaths of four Jedi plausible...But he could just say they destroyed each other in the plan to take over the Republic. **_

_**He had faked the evidence after all; he recorded the conversation to make him seem innocent. **_

_**The Sith Lord always had a backup plan  
>in fact he had many.<strong>_

_**The Force Lightning he strikes now is so incredibly strong that Mace can't even lower his lightsaber to protect himself.**_

_**He screams  
>He falls<br>He is dead **_

_**Some young teenage girls who had snuck out of their homes, overdone in makeup in an attempt to seem older will find him. They will scream and everyone will see the body, half destroyed from the impact of hitting the hard, grey ground. No one will even know this body had the soul of a Jedi not too long ago...his face will be smashed against the ground. **_

_**Palpatine slowly stood up and wiped the dust off of his robe, he walked slowly to his desk and summoned those he needed with the press of the button. **_

_**As he waited he could sense that now was the time to put his plan into motion, the force had shown him many outcomes of this battle and although Anakin failed to show up as planed it did not mean his plan had failed.**_

_**The beautiful flow of the dark side told him that if he were to execute his plan, Skywalker would live and then be his for the taking.**_

_**The doors slid open and in walked the gray, bald and white eyed, Sly Moore. A young force sensitive he had saved and shown his true side to. Very few knew who was leader on both sides. **_

"_**Has it come to pass my Lord?" She asked as she looked at the bodies that surrounded them, the dark lord nodded, he didn't need to convince her that the Jedi betrayed the republic.**_

_**"Do what must be done"  
>And with that Order 66 was already in operation. <strong>_

Stress was not a good thing for a pregnant woman, and dear Padmé Naberrie (or known by her public name of Padmé Amidala) was starting to feel as though she may be putting risk to her unborn child.

All she could do was presume her child was healthy, the only doctor she could trust died not too long after she discovered she was pregnant, but she remembers what he told her...

"Take it easy Senator; stress could make the pregnancy difficult"

Did she listen?

Oh she heard him, but she couldn't act on his words. The republic was falling apart and she could not and would not leave her work.

She had gathered every form of information on pregnancy and giving birth and if there was anything wrong she or Anakin would be able to tell.

Every now and then she had a painful sting in her chest, she was sad, and now because of Anakin's dreams she was worried.

If she were to die  
>would Anakin cope?<br>What would happen with the Jedi?  
>Would Naboo find a good replacement?<br>What will life be like for the little boy she was giving life to be like?

Of course she didn't know for sure that the baby was a boy, she just seemed to believe he was.

And no matter what a Jedi instinct was like she was not letting Anakin win this one, their child was not a girl.

As she moved to the balcony the night sky was gleaming with millions of stars, unusual for this busy planet where the lights were always on and the night sky only existed if you were high enough to see. Apparently in the days before travel between stars, people used to see them as magical and make a wish. Although she did not believe wishing would do nothing to ease her or her husband's fear she could not help but prey to the force for a miracle.

Anakin still sees the stars as magical

Her little child seemed to be kicking more than usual, it was bugging her. Baby boy Skywalker was in a bad mood and she didn't know why.

"Calm down Luke, you can't be hungry...so what else do you need"

As she watched the busy world in front of her dark eyes she saw something in the distance...

Smoke...

Anakin had attempted to leave on several occasions, but every time he tried he was either stopped by a fellow Jedi or his own mind seeing "Sense".

He was tired and yet too wide awake to sleep, he was hungry and yet he was too sick to eat.

How long had it been since he tasted food or laid his head down on a pillow?  
>He had been home for nine days...was that all? <p>

He was scared, as childish as it sounded he wanted Obi-Wan back. His brother would tell him to be calm and he would listen, Obi-Wan is and was the only one who helped him.

Except Padmé

But he was too scared to see her; he feared not quite having the answer to the problem. Well he didn't have the answer if he remained a Jedi...

He had shut down not too long ago. Just stopped feeling anything and sat down motionless, A young Padawan had seem him and was off to the Healers.

He was practically dreaming and something woke him up...

The force herself was screaming at him

"Getup!"  
>"Get out!"<br>"Run"

As he slowly became more aware of his surroundings he could hear many things  
>Lightsabers, screams and blasters.<p>

Blasters?

He got out of his seat in the counsel room and moved towards the window, and that is when he saw it.

Clone troupers...Force knows how many, hundreds upon hundreds of them marching into the temple and shooting the members of the security corps as they attempted to stop them.

The doors slid open and he grabbed his lightsaber ready to defend himself, but instead of soldiers he saw a large group of Younglings run towards him.

On small human boy with blond hair and blue eyes walked up to him as the others followed.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"

Anakin with his lightsaber still in hand, activated the blue blade.


	3. So many years later

Ten years to the day that Padmé died.

Two times a year Anakin and the twins visited Naboo, one was on her birthday and the second being on this day...the twins birthday, Thirteenth birthday to be precise.

But today Anakin was not on Naboo, he sent the twins with Jar-Jar. They would stay with their Auntie, uncle and cousins and then pay their respects to their mother.

And where was Anakin? Lying wide awake in bed staring at the sunrise

He caught the Flu three days back and so sent the kids on their way before they became infected

This left one problem...

He would have to think...

And that was the one thing he didn't want to do today.

You can ask anybody and they will agree, Losing someone is like a scar...the pain my fade slightly but it will always remain.

Qui-Gon, his Mother, Padmé...every Jedi who he failed to save

He really missed his wife.

He was baffled for a moment when he heard the door slide open and close, but he realized quickly who it was.

"Get out Obi-Wan, I'm sick" he pulled his blanket over his head as his brother walked into the room in a vain attempt to not infect him...or it could have been an egotistical wish for no one to see him looking so bad, he wasn't sure.

"You can't infect me. In my life I have had three cases of three different types of the flu virus...In other words I'm immune to you my friend" Obi-Wan placed a bag on Anakin's desk and then sat down by him.

"Why are you up so early?"  
>"Why are you awake so early?"<p>

Since Luke and Leia were born Anakin had become an early riser, sleep was now something he didn't get much of, and that was okay...he was used to it

"I'm always up this early"  
>"But you shouldn't be when you're ill"<p>

Anakin gave up and turned over, the conversation was going nowhere and he had a headache...well he had just about everything wrong with him.

"So..." Obi-Wan started, Anakin could feel his hesitation and was dreading what was to be said,  
>"What do you usually do today"<p>

Now that made him laugh  
>"What's so funny about that?"<br>"I thought the bantha in the room was going to be ignored"

Obi-Wan did something Anakin had not expected then...he laughed

"I usually just get the kids ready so they can visit their mother and then we throw the birthday party"  
>"And what else do you do?"<br>"Feel extremely guilty...nothing new there"

He knew Obi-Wan would not reprimand him for saying that, after a while Obi-Wan understood that Anakin's guilt for many things would remain...so there was little point in scolding.

"Do you still think there was anything you could have done?"

"I think there were many things that many people could have done to stop what happened and not just Padmé's death"

After all a dictatorship could be stopped if there are those who wish to stop it.

And Obi-Wan agreed

"Get out of bed and take more medication"

"Why?"

"I know what you're going to do today"


	4. The Mourning and the Knight

"_Citizens of the civilized galaxy, on this day we mark a transition. For a thousand years, the Republic stood as the crowning achievement of civilized beings. But there were those who would set us against one another, and we took up arms to defend our way of life against the _Separatists_. In so doing, we never suspected that the greatest threat came from within."_

Padmé couldn't stop looking at the Man who helped her gain power, the Man who guided her through troubled times, the Man whose eyes were now yellow.

"_The __Jedi__, and some within our own Senate, had conspired to create the shadow of Separatism using __one of their own __as __the enemy's leader__. They had hoped to grind the Republic into ruin. But the hatred in their hearts could not be hidden forever. At last, there came a day when our enemies showed their true natures."_

Who does this man see as traitors? She knew the answer to that...everyone who didn't like the idea of his dictatorship.

"_The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by __assassinating __the __head of government __and usurping control of the __clone army__. But the aims of would-be tyrants were valiantly opposed by those without elitist, dangerous powers. Our loyal __clone troopers __contained the __insurrection __within the __Jedi Temple__and__quelled uprisings__on a thousand worlds."_

"Obi-Wan" it was bad enough that she hadn't heard from Anakin, but the sudden realisation that her friend is also likely to be dead gave her a sickly feeling.

"_The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated! Any collaborators will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test. The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. The __war __is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An Empire that will continue to be ruled by __this august body __and a sovereign ruler chosen for life. An Empire ruled by the majority, ruled by a __new constitution__!"_

Where in the Galaxy was Bail? It would help calm her if she knew what he thought, to tell her that she wasn't the only one who knew this was wrong.

"_By bringing the entire galaxy under one law, one language, and the enlightened guidance of one individual, the corruption that plagued the Republic in its later years will never take root. __Regional governors__will eliminate the bureaucracy that allowed the Separatist movement to grow unchecked. A strong and growing military will ensure the rule of law."_

Her heart was sinking...Liberty has just died and no one seems to notice... no sound but the applause, the sound that was so loud it sounded like thunder.

"_Under the Empire's New Order, our most cherished beliefs will be safeguarded. We will defend our ideals by force of arms. We will give no ground to our enemies and will stand together against attacks from within or without. Let the enemies of the Empire take heed: those who challenge Imperial resolve will be crushed."_

She had to leave, she was going to be sick, her baby didn't seem to agree with the speech either.

"_We have taken on a task that will be difficult, but the people of the Empire are ready for the challenge. Because of our efforts, the galaxy has traded war for peace and anarchy for stability. Billions of beings now look forward to a secure future. The Empire will grow as more __planets __feel the call, from the Rim to the wilds of unknown space."_

But if she did leave in the middle of the speech... she would be seen as the enemy, she had to stay until the end.

"_Imperial citizens must do their part. Join __our grand star fleet__. Become the eyes of the Empire by reporting suspected insurrectionists. Travel to the corners of the galaxy to spread the principles of the New Order to barbarians. Build monuments and technical wonders that will speak of our glory for generations to come."_

Ha! Would this man be brave enough to take on and try to control the Hutts?

"_The clone troopers, now proudly wearing the name of __Imperial stormtroopers__, have tackled the dangerous work of fighting our enemies on the front lines. Many have died in their devotion to the Empire. Imperial citizens would do well to remember their example."_

The clones she had befriended had now killed the Jedi she knew and loved? Anakin was home...he would have seen her by now to let her know he was safe...He's dead, he's dead!

"_The New Order of peace has triumphed over the shadowy secrecy of shameful magicians. The direction of our course is clear. I will lead the Empire to glories beyond imagining."_

_Obi-Wan was with Cody...Ahsoka was with Rex...the ones they trusted..._

"_We have been tested, but we have emerged stronger. We move forward as one people: the Imperial citizens of the first Galactic Empire. We will prevail. Ten thousand years of peace begins today."_

And so the speech ended, everyone cheered and began to depart...Padmé got up from her seat and left in a hurry...she needed to be away from these idiots.

Anakin...Please be okay  
>-<p>

**Everything was black for a long time; time did not exist when the world was black, and then she simply opened her eyes. **

**Ahsoka's whole body seemed to be hurting as she tried to sit up, a tanned hand was placed on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down on the...mattress? A small childlike voice came and Ahsoka saw who was by her side. **

"**You should avoid moving for a while"  
>The Padawan did not recognise Queen Apailana at first, she didn't have any regal make up or clothes on...She seemed to be wearing her night gown,she looked very different and yet the same. Instead of the un-natural white face she saw a slightly dark- Skinned child with brown hair and black eyes... looking natural, she realized a child younger than her was in charge of a planet...and that was a scary thought.<strong>

"**Do you remember how you got here Maste- umm Jedi?" **

**That was a good point, why was she lying down? She looked down and saw bandages wrapped around her chest... and like the blaster that hit her in the ribs, the memory hit her hard...**

"_Rex? I don't think Jar-Jar is here, maybe he went out to-" Ahsoka stopped in her tracks when she saw Rex on his communicator, speaking with a cloaked figure with a voice that sounded familiar._

"_Execute order 66" and the figure went away_

"_What's order 66? I don't recognise it" After all she couldn't know every order that this war had created, even for a Jedi it was hard to remember everything._

"This" and before Ahsoka could detect anything, or see the Blaster...Her friend has shot her torso.

_The pain was unbearable and she couldn't move or speak, the fire burned her...she wished for death_

**The young sixteen year old Padawan sat up and looked around her, and the word surprise came to mind. Around her were Jedi, old and young, some injured, some fine, the numbers reached into double figures at most... Maybe eighty Jedi**

"**What's going on your Highness?"**

**The child looked deeply sad "A new order has been created, we are now part of an Empire, the Jedi are now the Enemy and I am helping hide those who have escaped the slaughter" **

**Ahsoka looked at her bandaged torso "Slaughter?" **

**A deep sigh was heard, this planet should rethink who they place in charge, as wonderful as a leader Apailana was... she was too young to deal with emotional turmoil on this level...Hell Ahsoka was a good three years older and trained to never have troubled emotions and she knew she wasn't mature enough to face a war! **

"**The Supreme Chancellor...well now Emperor was attacked last night in his office by Jedi. This was a part of a plot by the Jedi to overthrow the Republic and so...Your home, the temple was raided and the Jedi there were slaughtered with very few escaping" **

**One thought came to Ahsoka's mind... "Skyguy"  
>"And the many Jedi that were spread across the stars were killed by the Clone troupers"<br>"Master Kenobi"  
>"And that included you Padawan, my people waited until the Clones discarded your body and we then acted...they have gone now so don't worry" The young Queen looked at the Jedi-Learner and saw her eyes were watered, she was struggling to hold back tears<br>"I'm sorry"  
>"When did this happen...I mean how long ago, how long have I been out?" <strong>

"**It is day here but night on Corusant...twenty four galactic hours have passed since you were shot" And then the child Queen stood up and walked away from the Jedi**

**Odd would be the word to describe what Ahsoka was feeling, sure there was grief but there was also the feeling of a dream... The feeling that she would wake up or the feeling that she was not involved in any way.  
>And then she noticed everything around her...<strong>

**The Sun shining through the window was just far too bright.  
>The surviving Jedi's whispers were far too loud.<br>The smell of Bacca was far too strong.  
>The taste of Sylvia in her mouth was too sickly.<br>The Blanket around her was far too itchy. **

**It's funny how the world around you suddenly changes...**

"**Padawan Tano?"**

**Ahsoka looked to her side and saw a Ho'Din youngling only slightly taller than her(if she were standing up of course) she looked up to see a large gash on the side of his head.**

"**Your Master was Skywalker, no?" she nodded not making a sound,  
>"You should be proud of you Master, saved many younglings and older Jedi alike...including me and many of my clan" <strong>

_Was Skywalker...?_** She tried to feel for her Master, the man who shone so bright in the Galaxy that those like him and those who knew him could feel his shine on other planets.**

**And there was nothing...Not a single thing.**

"**Thank you, Youngling" and with that Ahsoka Tano laid back down on the small mattress she was lying on, the Youngling walked back over to one of the Knights to be checked. **

**There was one thing left for Young Tano to do, and with a sharp breath, she released all grief and pain into the force...**

**There is no emotion, there is peace  
>She would always remember her Master and his Master<br>She would remember them always  
>But she was a Jedi, it didn't matter if she was on the side of those she served or not.<br>She would not morn the dead.**

Yoda was many things...  
>Jedi, Grand Master, Sword Master, and member of a species no one knew the name of...<br>And he was old  
>VERY OLD.<br>And he was one more thing, he thought he never would be...at least when it came to the matter of the Force...

He was wrong**  
><strong>so says the voice whispering to him...

"Eternal life…"  
>"The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it; it comes only through the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness."<p>

The voice of Qui-Gon Jinn, what a defiant man he was and is! Completely disregarded the views of the Jedi and accepted emotion up to a point he practically became immortal...Well done Master Jinn.

"You're willing student I am" Yoda proclaimed to the voice in his mind. He was not proud; he was always willing to learn new possibilities of the force.

To the old aliens surprise he found comfort that when a soul passes, their self, even without a body remained. He always knew that one returned to the force, yet he didn't know to what extent what would happen... though he did not fear death, he did feel comforted.

"Those who we knew that have passed end up here; it takes great skill and compassion to cross back to the world of the living"

"The Chosen one?" Before the fall of the Jedi the little Green Troll could feel the chosen one start to turn; now he could feel nothing.  
>"I have not been able to detect him...he has not passed to the force yet...but I cannot feel him alive either" The blue ghost shimmered, his face smooth with youth, Qui-Gon seemed to take the preference of his slightly younger days rather than old. <em>So very vain even in death<em>, Yoda thought.

"What to tell your old Padawan do you recommend?" Although Obi-Wan had released much of his emotional torment the sudden purge had caused, the old Master felt sudden twinges of grief for the one Kenobi had trained.

"The chosen ones fate is unknown, therefore there is little point in telling Obi-Wan until the time is right"  
>"Agree do I, on this matter"<p>

Qui-Gon Jinn bowed his head to the Grand Master of a dead order and started to fade  
>"I will continue to look for both Answers and Anakin...May the Force be with you"<br>And then He was gone  
>"May the Force be with you Master Jinn"<p>

-

**A couple of hours ago, a small ship arrived on Polis Massa. The ship contained around thirty Jedi from Youngling to Master, all shaken up but alive. When asked what happened there was one reply  
>"Master Skywalker saved us"<br>But they could not answer what happened to him.  
>Then a message from Naboo, the Queen knew who to call. And the Jedi there said the same thing<br>"Master Skywalker saved us"  
>And yet again, no one knew what happened to him.<br>Many messages from all over the Galaxy came though, small groups of Jedi were scattered everywhere, and overall it was believed that three hundred had survived Order 66.**

**And Anakin had saved them all... **

**And that is what Bail was getting ready to tell his dear friend as he neared her door in the apartment complex.**

**The gold Droid known as C3PO had greeted him in his ordinary yet odd manor and led him to the living room where Padmé stood. He ignored the fact the clothes she wore were hiding a pregnancy, of course she didn't tell him but he knew her well enough and he also had a very good idea who the father was. **

"**Why were you not at the senate? Attendance was mandatory" Stang, she was in political mode, and this wasn't her normal political mode, When she was filled with passion her good political mode helped her gain votes and favours all over, but her bad political mode was the ice cold person she was as the Queen.**

**She was regal, quiet and with little emotion. How Naboo loved that in their child Queens. **

"**There are survivors from across the Galaxy after last night" **

**Padmé turned around and looked at Bail, the slightest smile on her face and he could see the question in her eyes  
>"Anyone we know?" <strong>

"**Well Master Yoda for one but there are very few Jedi that were out on the battlefield that we know to be still alive excluding Obi-Wan"  
><strong>

**Padmé's eyes darkened and Bail knew why, it was because he was excluding the one person who she really wanted to know about, but if He started on Anakin then she would know her little secret was known. So she had to wait. **

"**Obi-Wan is in the Jedi temple as we speak, he is on a mission to replace a message to the Jedi...and look for survivors" **

**Her eyes were wide and she was quiet, he realized that he could be scaring her and that may not be good due to her condition.  
>"Apparently Knight Skywalker" She became even more alert with every word from then on "Had helped many Jedi escape from the Clones, the losses at the temple would have been greater without him" He stopped to let her take the information in and simply waited for her next question,<br>"What happened to Anakin?" **

**He had to get this over quickly, and no matter what happened he would try to make things better for her, "We don't know" **

**And that was that, Padme didn't say a word as she grabbed her communicator and spoke with one of her captains. **

"**I will be leaving shortly with Bail, have Sabe ready for duty" **

**And with that she turned back to her friend,  
>"When Obi-Wan has finished I will join you both returning to check on the Jedi, I wish to know more of what has happened"<strong>

**Bail nodded **

**He and Padmé along with her droid left for the ship.**

**-**

_Within the Jedi temple, bodies were everywhere and the stench of death filled every single room. The building that was so beautiful had turned ugly in one single night, and Obi-Wan found it harder with every step he took to not grieve. _

_He had recalibrated the message warning Jedi to stay away and to hide..._

_So what did he do next? _

_He wanted to find out what and why this had happened, he pressed the button and the security hologram came to life and he saw, his best friend and brother fight off clones and help younglings escape...And then he saw it...he saw the chancellor arrive, he saw his red lightsaber...he knew he was the Sith Lord they had been looking for...and then he saw Anakin_

_Anakin lowered his lightsaber _

_And suddenly everything became clear _

_He was fighting the war so pointless that everyone became enemies._

_And he left Anakin on his own, where his mind could be manipulated._

_Apart of Obi-Wan did not believe Anakin was strong enough to avoid temptation..._

_But then he saw it, the tiny blue image showed him that he was wrong, because Anakin ran away._

_Obi-Wan then had to leave, but he left with the small hope that his Brother was alive_

_-_

**_Dex Jettster had seen many strange things in his time before he started up his Diner, but he never thought he would ever see the Jedi as Traitors. _**

**_And he has seen enough Dictatorships to know when he's living in one._**

**_So many people were blind to it that he avoided mentioning the matter; there could have been spies for all he knew. _**

**_So many Jedi have been reported dead, including Obi-Wan, no word from Anakin yet but it was known he was at the temple. _**

**_And all he could do was act like he was happy, act like everyone else,  
>why should he not be happy? War was over and the traitors were killed from inside and out. <em>**

**_As many customers had their eyes glued to the Holo projector, Dex placed the last of the finished meals in the cleaning droid and stepped outside into the alley _**

**_He really needed to smoke _**

**_He relaxed against the wall of the diner and grabbed the remainder of the pink leaves in his pocket and began to light and chew._**

**_Obi-Wan always hated this little habit._**

**_Although he had no tears in his eyes he was experiencing grief, he had known Kenobi since he was a very young Padawan, in fact they met in the very alley he was now slouching in. He had known him and Qui-Gon too and although he ever believed Jedi to be immortal, he believed nothing would ever happen to Jinn or Kenobi._**

**_But Jinn's Death oh so long ago had reminded him of how easy one could die and the War made him worry for Obi-Wan and Anakin, the more the Holo Net reported how amazing the double act were, the more he worried for them. _**

**_Propaganda after all. _**

**"_Dex" _**

**_He jumped at the sound of his own name, he was sharp, and he had good hearing, he could detect someone a district away..._**

**_So that must mean..._**

**_He turned and saw Anakin...the man he had watched grow, the boy he helped sneak food into the temple. _**

**"_Help me Dex, you're my only hope" _**


	5. A lunch in the future

Oh how Anakin wished he was with the twins,

At least then he would have a good reason to be up and out of his reasonably comfortable bed.

But alas no, he is with Obi-Wan at Dex's diner, this is a place he likes to avoid after what happened here...

He still hasn't paid him back for the damages, Dex said he never wanted money to fix it and that he understood the "Jedi have no money thing"

But in Anakin's head he still owns him a good few hundred thousand credits.

"When was the last time you were in here?" Obi-Wan asks while eating this long green item with a knife and fork which quite frankly reminds Anakin of a big huge-  
>"Mind your thoughts Anakin, I've seen you eat live bugs remember?"<p>

"There was a war on" was the only answer he could think of... well THAT AND Obi-Wan's discomfort made eating bugs worth it.

"I don't think you've been in here since... my forty first"

"That was decades ago, Obi-Wan" Anakin replied as he dipped his nose into the hot steam from his drink...Dex made the only Caffeinated drink in the whole Galaxy that could clear the sinus ...at least he believed so.

"Are you forgetting how old I am, Anakin?"  
>"In all honestly, I'm not sure how old I am"<br>"You're thirty five-ish, according to your files...but we can't be sure"

It was right at that moment that Anakin really missed not having the ability to count, dam you education...

"Obi-Wan, Anakin...great to see you two"

Dex limped over towards the two Jedi, large scar across his right eye with its lid firmly shut to not scare the customers away.

Obi-Wan and Anakin both stood up and bowed only to both be taken by Dex and hugged quickly before setting them both down,

"And how are your now thirteen year olds, Anakin?"

"Despite Leia not being able to use any of her abilities, she can still beat Luke in a fight, verbal or otherwise. I actually worry she'll beat me in a fight one day" Anakin smiled towards Dex, avoiding looking at his eyes, he had an irrational fear of Dex opening his eyelid.

"Just like her mother huh?"

Anakin nodded at the remark.


End file.
